Auf Safari: Vorsicht giftig! - Colchicum autumnale

At the moment you can see them again on meadows: the Colchicum autumnale or the autumn crocus, meadow saffron or naked ladies.

(Caution, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colchicum_autumnale ) The autumn crocus is not a crocus! However, it looks very similar to a crocus, but blooms in autumn (not like most crocuses in spring). The name "naked ladies" comes from the fact that the flowers emerge from the ground long after the leaves have died back.

The autumn crocus can also be confused with wild garlic at the time of leaf growth. This has already cost some people their lives, as the autumn timothy is very poisonous. But since I have no biological knowledge, I only warn against anything that looks like wild garlic.

The location of the autumn crocus is rather humid and sunny meadows, the location is mostly protected from the wind. In Europe the autumn crocusis widespread up to 1500 m above sea level.

The autumn crocus forms very pretty flowers, but unfortunately all parts of the plant are very poisonous. The flower is most poisonous, according to Wikipedia it contains approx. 1.8% of the alkaloid Colchicin. Of this poison, 0.8 mg per kg body weight are already lethal. Pretty little therefore. The poison is retained during drying, so even hay contaminated with autumn crocus plants is poisonous.

By the way, the plant is also toxic for ruminants (e.g. cows), horses, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. Since the poison also passes into the milk, even the milk of cows, sheep and goats that have eaten the autumn crocus is poisonous for humans.

But according to Paracelsus, "All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing no poison." The poison of the autumn timeless is also used in medicine to fight cancer.

The present autumn crocus stands on a sunny orchard directly under the apple trees:
N 48 37.571 E 008 46.334

You can log this safari:

1. please make a picture of a part of a plant: Flower, leaf, fruit stand. The picture must show the GPS receiver including the coordinates displayed on it.
2. Please enter the coordinates in the usual safari format so that Floppy's map can show the coordinates.
3. Optionally you can describe the location or add a picture of the surroundings.

Again caution: all plant parts are DEADLY POISONOUS. Avoid touching the plant. This is especially true for children and animals that you may have with you.

(Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator)